The instant invention relates to devices for releasably connecting two shafts, and particularly to shaft connection devices which include inner and outer clamping sleeves having cooperating, tapered, contacting surfaces, means for achieving relative axial displacement of the inner and outer sleeves, and means for supplying a pressure medium between the cooperating, tapered, contacting surfaces.
Such devices are commonly used for connecting two shafts between which great forces and torques are transmitted. The lengths of the sleeves are chosen so that the sleeves enclose sufficiently long portions of the respective shafts in order to establish a desired clamping force between the inner sleeve and the respective shafts when the outer sleeve is mounted on the inner sleeve. The sleeves are made as short as possible for saving space and cost. The connected shafts are therefore usually placed so that the distance between the opposing shaft ends is as short as possible.
Occasionally it is desirable, however, to maintain a certain distance between the shaft ends, for example in order to allow axial displacement of one shaft independent of the other during mounting or dismounting, or in order to give room for handling or indication members for adjusting means running through hollow shafts, e.g. devices for turning the blades of adjustable screw propellers, the connected shafts therewith constituting the propeller shaft. The present invention has an object to provide a device of the kind mentioned above, which device is suitable for connecting shafts with a certain distance between the shaft ends. According to the invention, this is achieved by a device which has the characterizing features recited in the appended claim 1.
Such a device is especialy suitable for releasably connecting two shafts which are arranged at a distance from each other, and it can easily be designed to allow access to members which are attached to devices situated in axial bores in the shafts.